NBC News " Meet The Press" - Transcript : Defunding Planned Parenthood
Interview
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CHUCK TODD:
Tom Cole, explain why you probably can't get a budget passed that's going to, quote, "De-fund Planned Parenthood?"
REP. TOM COLE:
Well, with all the due respect to my friend, I mean taking credit for what you didn't do is the wrong thing (CHUCKLE) to do. Look, John Boehner negotiated the Budget Control Act. That's what lowered the deficit. And that's just the fact. In terms of not being--
CHUCK TODD:
Mitch McConnell said it's not going to happen until there's a Republican president.
REP. TOM COLE:
Well, first of all, we've already passed legislation through the Appropriations Committee that de-funds all title ten funding, included Planned Parenthood.
CHUCK TODD:
So you just blame the Senate on this?
REP. TOM COLE:
No, I don't blame anybody on this.
CHUCK TODD:
It's Mitch McConnell fault?
REP. TOM COLE:
Well, that's just nonsense. And when he became speaker, the budget deficit was $1.4 trillion a year. This year it will be under 430. we've got the first real entitlement reform, which lowered the un-funded liability in the Medicare fund by $2.9 trillion. You know, he's passed more legislation, frankly, than any other speaker.
He's not had a Republican Senate until the last few months. He still doesn't have a Republican president. What he's done, operating, frankly, as the one place where we had Republican control for multiple years, has been really exceptional.
CHUCK TODD:
Well, Senator, respond to that. There's only so much John Boehner and Mitch McConnell can do without a Republican president.
FMR SEN. JIM DEMINT:
Well, the--
CHUCK TODD:
You say that that's just not true.
FMR SEN. JIM DEMINT:
Well, any cut in spending was a result of a conservative fight. We called it "cut cap and balance." Neither the leadership in the House or the Senate was with us on that. But the conservatives from around the country basically forced them into considering some cuts, which have taken effect and made some difference.
But every issue becomes a fight. Every year we're fighting about just some reasonable reductions in the growth of spending, and standing up to Obama, whether it's on controlling the internet or changing the national franchise--
CHUCK TODD:
Well, what does a change in speaker, what will it do?
FMR SEN. JIM DEMINT:
Well, we're not advocating--
(OVERTALK)
CHUCK TODD:
I understand you're not advocating, but what would that do, a change in leadership either in style or in personality. What do you think that would do?
FMR SEN. JIM DEMINT:
Well, I think what conservatives need, and I would assume what a lot of Republicans around the country want are leaders in Washington who are advocating for those principles that we know made this country great and will make life better for every American. We just don't hear that out of them. We don't even hear a plan.
What, we're two weeks from the end of the year? Have you heard anything from any of the leadership in Washington about what we're going to do here at the end of the year? How can you build support for something if you won't lay out a plan and let people know that this is what we stand for and this is what we're going to fight for?
REP. TOM COLE:
No. I don't blame anybody. I blame the president of the United States. You know, we have a Republican president, you'd have-- we don't appropriate to Planned Parenthood, we appropriate to the Department of Health and Human Services. It then awards grants.
CHUCK TODD:
Right.
REP. TOM COLE:
So frankly, you've got to have a president that will give you a department secretary that will actually follow those principles.
CHUCK TODD:
All right, This is going to be something that is going to be to be continued, and it could be a crazy six weeks. Tom Cole, Jim DeMint--
FMR SEN. JIM DEMINT:
Chuck, thank you.
CHUCK TODD:
--thanks for coming on and being civil. All right.
REP. TOM COLE:
Good to be with you.
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